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It looks like a gamer's dream, but this is actually the UK's drone nerve centre. Military
chiefs have finally allowed cameras into the facility in Lincolnshire, giving us a glimpse
of how pilots operate the RAF's unmanned aircraft. The footage was filmed during a visit by defence
secretary Philip Hammond.
They provide a huge additional capability to support our operations on the ground, huge
additional protection for our troops on the ground, and I think they're going to be a
feature of future operations in whatever we find ourselves.
The Air Force started flying drones over Afghanistan from RAF Waddington in 2013. Previously, they
operated them from Afghanistan or the US. The use of drones, especially those that can
fire missiles called Reapers, is controversial. When it was announced that Britain was carrying
out combat missions from Lincolnshire, there were protests outside the base. But drones
are incredibly useful to the armed forces, who want to change attitudes. All the pilots
are subject to exactly the same rules of engagement as troops on the ground.
So whether the pilot is sitting in the cockpit or sitting in a control pod here at Waddington,
the procedures, the controls and the safeguards are exactly the same.
Britain is buying more Reapers, so despite campaigns against their use, drone technology
will undoubtedly be a part of our future.